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Why do you feel you need back up hearing aids - if you do?

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If you are someone who purposely invested in, or maintain backup hearing aids, I would love to know for what reason you feel you need them?
Thank you in advance for responding

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Hey IGZO! I can’t help but say: your of now is what mine used to be a few years ago. Like synchronicity! Hope your hearing freezes AS IS, but even if it drops to my own snake belly … I find that my Phonak Lumity Life 312s (released just over a year ago) are AWESOME and have really transformed my confidence and quality of life.

As for backup aids. Now THIS is a topic I can warm up to, oh YEAH! I’ve worn aids since I was in my early 30s. Initially, my aids would just inch down the food chain. I’d get a new pair and keep the previous one for “backup”. But about 3 yrs ago, I said, ENUF of the mis-matched aids, so that’s when I plunked down a discounted price to get a second IDENTICAL pair of aids. Those were my first Phonak Lumity Life rechargeables. For the first time ever, I could swap out either pair whenever needed. Believe me, you will have times during almost EVERY year when one aid or the other needs to go back to the shop. Maybe it’s a dead speaker. Maybe you got one of the “beans” behind the ear wet. Something is going to make you tremble with anxiety at the thought of not being able to hear optimally! With identical backups, you will never be let down. The programs AND settings are identical! I even have my duo Phonaks cross-licensed with my 2 Roger mics for extra flexibility.

Now I’ve replaced my rechargeables with the 312 battery Phonaks of the same make/model … BUT! These 312s are newer and even BETTER for speech comprehension! It’s really noticeable when I’m at the gym f’instance. In the din inside, I can comprehend speech better with the 312s than my older rechargeables.

On top of the annual repairs/replacements needed, I ALWAYS travel with backup aids. On just about every trip longer than a couple weeks, one of my aids will crook its fickle finger of Fate at me and do something unforeseen. No prob! I have my backup 312s, pop 'em in, and life just continues to roll with no stress or worries.

I totally get that backup aids are EXPENSIVE, but given my cinderblock ears, there is simply NO margin for just “getting by” without two working aids in my ears during all waking hours.

I’ll never forget that in the era before my identical backups I was staying at my in-laws 400 miles from home. Their DOG ate ONE of my aids … I woke up to see a trail of tiny wires, plastic bits and whatnot trailing out the bedroom door and down the hall, where that DOG was grinning at me. Disaster. I still had 2 full days of my trip with ZERO hearing in one ear. The stress of having to compensate was exhausting. So cut yourself some slack, crack open your wallet and get the backup aids if you can at all afford them.

Well Said and even well written! Thank you Blue!
I enjoyed the read.
Yeah, I can identify with that.
Even the Dog, but in my case it would be squirrels - haha!

You are not a DIYer, are you?

Reason for my post was that I read many here about their backups.
I do have a pair of Oticon’s that might be a poor back up for my Spheres.
But most likely the would not themselves fail, rather the speakers or the cables would fail and I have speaker backups.

I had the awful experience of once having to work, without the aids, due to one aid temporarily having gotten lost in the vestibule at home on my way out. That was terrible. Yet due to the constant ramping up of technology, I hope these Sphere’s will last to be a useful back up to the next improved version.

For most, if they knew how to change their speakers, most emergencies could be handled I would think.

I will be doing a new in situ hearing test soon… will probably take the easy way out and just update my on this site by copying yours!

@IGZO said:

I will be doing a new in situ hearing test soon… will probably take the easy way out and just update my audiogram on this site by copying yours!

! HA! I’ll have to come after you for plagiarism!

Yes, with luck the Spheres will be your next gen backup, but ONLY if the latest and greatest are almost identical to the Spheres in terms of speech quality, programs and settings. That was my point of frustration.

So, I had my Phonak 13-battery Marvels as backup to the Lumity Life rechargeables. Right off the bat, I need both batteries AND charging base on the road. Then, the programs didn’t match cuz Marvel didn’t have the same ones, so I’d have to constantly figure out the lineup (default, Speech in Noise, Music, Acoustic Phone). Plus the audio quality was far better with the newer aids, so I’d blanch at having to use my backups.

Ah, it was just so LIBERATING to have identical aids to use as needed. Imagine if you only had two pairs of shoes: sneakers and dress. Yes, they are shoes, but so different that one is not optimal for the use of the other (e.g., running like a hamster on a wheel at the gym in your dress shoes! or walking down the aisle at a wedding in full tux with SNEAKERS on).

As a pro photographer, I can definitely relate to the benefit of IDENTICAL hardware and thus for most of my career have used multiples of the exact same camera body and lights etc.

I repair my own old cars nowadays, and have two nearly identical, making parts and troubleshooting much easier.

And for decades I was assembling identical computers for my studio.
So I would build five at the same time. Identical parts, etc.

But right now … for my needs, practically speaking, I am confident with one set.
They are new, seem robust and I have spare speakers at least.

@IGZO said:

But right now … for my needs, practically speaking, I am confident with one set.
They are new, seem robust and I have spare speakers at least.

WHAT?!?!?!?! That boggles my mind considering that you are a True Believer in the Identical Parallel Universe of Things!

Give it time. If you don’t have identical aids within the year, I’ll eat my IDENTICAL pruning shears! (can’t swallow the Phonaks cuz I still need both pairs)

Edited

I have 6 pairs, all disposable battery. If I see a real bargain on either here or Ebay, I’ll snap it up.

  1. Only 1 pair I own has a warranty, so I need spares if the main ones go faulty. Also, if said pair went faulty, I’d just change to another pair while they’re away getting fixed.

  2. I have 2 dogs. When they were puppies, they ate 3 NHS hearing aids. They’ve not done it for years, but you never know.

  3. I’m clumsy and could easily lose them.

  4. After a night out, I sometimes fall asleep in the chair, and remove them and I’ve found them in my chair mechanism, which could easily chew them up.

In reply to @1Bluejay

Mind Boggling had been one of my favorite activities.
When there were more minds available.

I doubt I will have identicals. Perhaps some years ago… but I continue to be impressed with how robust they be. The Oticon that fell into hot coffee…still working three years later.

Regarding identicals… I have at times shot simultaneously with three cameras. But so to, sometimes choosing one single camera can be more efficient, and likely to be most successful.

Regarding hearing aids… I was just reading the LACE advertising. And juxtaposing that approach into our discussion, has me thinking that in many ways hearing may not be a necessity. It is a luxury and in many situation, in order to play the game one does need to hear. But if you are self employed, or no longer working and choose/plan your day, well, what I am trying to say is that many with perfect hearing, are poor listeners, and worse at understanding what they really have heard. Today in most situations, unless you are working for someone, or a situation requiring hearing for communications, perhaps many would be happier, just giving up on hearing and interacting otherwise.

Insisting on written communication may sometimes avoid all kinds of misunderstanding even among those with normal hearing.

I do.

My rechargeable hearing aids weren’t set up right for a year and a half.
My batteries in those hearing aids didn’t last long enough. ’s were replaced about 3 years; replacement ones are much better.
Hope this helps

DaveL

It’s easy to ID my two Phonak Lumity Life 312s! Here’s the pair in Precious Pink:

Pink

And here they are in Caribbean Pirate:

Caribbean Pirate

I’d buy the green ones too, but would have to rob a bank to do so.
:smiley:

I wear Phonak Nadia Paradise P90. I too have an identical pair that I travel with and always have ready complete with custom molds. I bought them overseas with no US warranty but at a third the price. I track by S/N and have not used them so far. I may send in my originals just before warranty expires and move right along.

Once one gets used to TV Connectors, Roger and Bluetooth phones, it is impossible to function without hearing aids.

This is an easy answer for me, I am just too deaf to be without a . I’ve learned to fix a lot of minor issues over the years but if my audiologist office is closed or the aid needs to be returned to factory then I am asbolutely unable to do my job or anything.

I’m new to my 1st , Rexton Reach. It’s been a bit over 4 months. So far, they’ve worked OK but this thread (Blue’s comment) has me aware that my luck could sour any moment. Beyond that, I figure there’s a substantial chance one will fall out and I won’t be able to find it, so I’m thinking backup makes sense. However, I wasn’t contemplating getting a 2nd set of Rexton Reach, but one of the other offerings from Cosco, probably a Philips 9050 or the Jabra. I figure watch the Costco mailer and see when they’ll offer another inducement, such as the TV listening adapter thrown in. My hearing isn’t too bad, I’d be OK with no HAs for a couple weeks, but would be glad I had backup should I lose one or have one become less than functional. Being new to HAs, checking out another make/model seems sensible to me. No hurries, but I’m watching the mailers.

My daily drivers - KS10s from Costco - are ageing battery wise. I’m not in a financial position right now too buy in for the latest/greatest Keeping a viable pair of Plan B hearing aids is just useful.

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